Jalpaiguri, 01 April (H.S.) : Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday levelled serious allegations against the Election Commission, claiming that attempts were made to prevent the party’s candidate Swapna Barman from filing her nomination papers in Rajganj of Jalpaiguri district.

Addressing an election rally, Banerjee alleged that a “planned obstruction” was created to stop the TMC candidate from submitting her nomination, forcing the party to approach the court for relief.

In an emotional appeal, he said that a “fatherless candidate” was compelled to seek judicial intervention but expressed confidence that she would emerge victorious with public support. He claimed that Barman would win by a margin of around 40,000 votes and complete the unfinished developmental works of Khageswar Roy.

Banerjee also made several development promises for Rajganj. He said that arrangements for a fire brigade facility would be initiated within six months after the elections. He also described the circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court as a major achievement for the region.

Targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he raised the issue of “outsider candidates” and alleged that the party had fielded candidates from outside the Rajganj area.

Taking a swipe at the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, he remarked that “removing four buckets of water from the sea cannot dry up the ocean,” indicating that such exercises would not impact TMC’s electoral strength.

He also promised the construction of cold storage facilities for farmers and assured that development projects would be initiated after the party’s electoral victory.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh